The Oregon Association of Nurseries is saddened to report the passing of Dave Adams, a retired former extension agent for Oregon State University who was an honorary lifetime member of OAN and a member of the Oregon Nurseries’ Hall of Fame.
He passed away last Tuesday, January 4, 2022, at an area hospital, from complications sustained after a bad fall and a hip replacement surgery. He was 88.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 15 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1285 Elm St., Canby, Oregon.
Mr. Adams was born in 1933 in Buffalo, New York to Albert and Edith Adams. His early years were difficult, as he attended 13 different high schools, but he graduated on time. In the post-Depression years, his father was a traveling construction worker, going wherever the work required. After graduation, Dave enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne Division, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant.
After completing his Army service, he met his future wife, Mary Lou, and they were married on December 24, 1956. He then enrolled at Michigan State University, earning a double master’s degree in agriculture and horticulture. The couple moved to South Dakota, and Dave taught at South Dakota State University for seven years. He then accepted an employment offer at Oregon State University. The couple moved to Corvallis, Oregon where Dave earned his doctorate in agriculture and worked for the OSU Extension Service.
As an OSU Extension agent, Adams collaborated with coworkers to start the Ornamentals Northwest Seminars. These were incorporated into the Farwest Show seminars, which he managed for several years while serving on the Farwest Show Committee. In 1998, he was inducted into the Oregon Nurseries’ Hall of Fame. Later in his career, he worked and volunteered with numerous organizations. He took more than 70 trips to 16 different countries, where he worked with nursery people in various countries and passed on his knowledge of agriculture.
Dave enjoyed spending time with his family, working on his farm, camping and fly fishing. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had a deep passion for genealogy. He was able to trace his family lineage back to the mid-18th century. At the time of his death, Dave and Mary Lou had just celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary.
Dave is survived by his wife, Mary Lou, four children, 10 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren. Read the full obituary here.
